Underworld A tale of true love
by LuckieShuyin
Summary: Follow Richard O'Connor through his life in the Underworld, where he is saved by Ultima Valenhart, the ruler of the Underworld. Many obsticals stand in their way, and every day they get closer to each other. The Immortals can only die by giving their li
1. Chapter 1

Underworld

_Chapter 1: A world in a Grain of Sand_

"_See a world in a grain of Sand_

_A Heaven in a wild flower_

_Hold fate in the palm of your hand_

_Touch infinity's power_

_See the world as never before_

_Where no-one ceases to fight_

_In using the inner strength of your core_

_Dark will be banished by light._

_See a world in a grain of sand_

_A heaven in a wild flower_

_Hold love in the palm of your hand_

_Feel it grow by the hour_

_Open your heart, release anger and hate_

_Allow others to see into you_

_Follow your path, guided by fate_

_Speak nothing you know is not true._

_If you were given this world_

_What would you do with the power?_

_Would you see a world in a grain of sand?_

_Would you let love grow by the hour?_

_If you see a world in a grain of sand_

_You'll see a new side too life_

_Walk together, outstretch a hand_

_End this world's suffering and strife."_

The young eyes of many children were gazing intently up at the slender woman who recited The Laws of The Underworld. Her voice spoke the words with passion, not for the children, but for the Laws themselves, for she wrote them. Many thousands of years ago, when the Underworld first formed into being, she had sat and thought up the Laws that had bound the citizens of The Underworld into being. Even though many citizens resisted the Laws…and formed rebel groups, The Underworld prevailed and, all in all, survived.

As the woman stood up from the chair she had recited from, long black hair cascaded down to her waist, the jet blackness reflecting in her all seeing, all knowing irises, that surrounded a pair of blood red pupils.

These pupils were barely darker than her soft lips that formed the words she was speaking, aided by the voice box contained in her slender neck.

A thin strapped, black, tank top clung from her shoulders, falling down to her navel, low cut at the top. From her shoulders, down past her elbows and down to the tip of her fingers, long, black, gloves covered both arms, made from the same material that protruded above the knee-high heeled, also black, boots, and rose up to her thighs, where it met her skirt, the loose, black, material that hung from her hips to half way down her thighs.

**Ultima Asteroid Valenheart**

Immortally sixteen for eternity and more, Ultima was Ruler of The Underworld and Sorceress of The Damned, the most powerful female in existence.

She kneeled down in front of the children of three up to five years of age, such a young age for one to have to learn the laws and ways of the world that they live in.

"Any questions?" she asked the children, upon seeing no hands raised, possibly from intimidation, she got to her feet once more.

"Alright then, follow me please!"

He watched her. Framed by a shadowed doorway. He watched her. Everytime she moved, her actions were suspended in his emerald green eyes, occasionally concealed by a spike of his electric blue hair. Still, he watched her, as she spoke the laws of The Underworld; "…Walk together…"

How he'd love to walk with her, as more than friends, exchanging promises of everlasting love...pure love, deeper love than the love a mother feels for a child.

"…Outstretch a hand…"

How he'd love to stretch out his own hand towards her, touch her pale skin, cradle her lithe form in his tanned, muscular arms then—but she was too good for him…to high in society…too high out of his reach.

As Ultima knelt down towards the children, he leaned against the doorjamb, his body thrown into the light of the small room.

From the top of his head blue spikes of shockingly electric blue hair hung downwards, almost as if they were icicles hanging from a ledge. The eyes that his hair partially concealed were emerald green and shone almost as brightly as real emeralds glittered among a pile of rubies and diamonds.

A red, sleeveless shirt fell down to his waist, revealing a six-pack and a tanned chest that the non-existent buttons failed to conceal. The two sides of his shirt were held across his chest by two lengths of red material, in the form of a X-shaped cross.

His shorts were black and fell down to his knees, another X-shaped cross, but this time black, joining the legs of the shorts together at the front and at the back. On his feet he wore black shoes with blue lighting bolt designs, and blue laces, black socks just penetrating above the top of his trainers, and strapped to his back was a triple barrelled, silver gun.

His name was Richard Matthieu O'Connor, a mortal boy of seventeen, saved from the destruction occurring in his, once colourful but now desolate, hometown.

As Ultima stood up, he saw her walk towards him, followed by about fifteen small children, all heading towards a room in her mansion where she'd give a special lesson to all younglings and newcomers to The Underworld.

As Ultima and the children drew closer to Richard, he pulled away from the door to give her a clear path through into the main hall. She moved as gracefully as a young bird in perfect flight, and as she greeted him her voice sounded like sweet birdsong that rang out and stunned everyone who listened.

As she passed any mortal, she gave them a brief view of paradise, she was beautiful for everyone, a perfect sight to lay eyes upon, a perfect bride for any Prince, but she neither wanted or needed marriage, and it was rumoured that the only love in her heart went to one unknown stranger that had never witnessed the light of day outside the mansion.

"Good morning, Richard." She said as she drew level with him, her melodic voice ringing in his ears.

"Morning Ms. Valenheart." Came his reply, and he bowed, as did anyone who saw her walking his or her way.

"Don't call me Ms. Valenheart, Richard, my name is Ultima." She said, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear with her right hand. "I don't call you Mr. O'Connor, do I?"

"No ma'am, you don't, I just find it more polite to address you in that way."

Ultima laughed and allowed her eyes to meet his, and saw a mixture of adoration and intimidation hidden within them to all that didn't know how to read the signs embedded in the stares of a mortal.

"Do you fear me Richard?" she inquired curiously.

"Yes." He said, breaking eye contact and looking down to the ground, then "Ultima? Why did you save me after the rest of my people were mercilessly slaughtered?"

"Let's just say I arrived in time" she replied, starting to walk into the main hall, followed by the eager children, "Aren't you coming?" she said, turning to face him over the heads of the younglings. "You need to learn and understand this as well, if you wish to be accepted in The Underworld."

The Main Hall of Ultima's mansion was huge. Upon entering from the main house entrance, the visitor would always let out a gasp, not just at its immense size, but also at the huge crystals that hung from the ceiling in a multitude of colours. At the end opposite the hall there was a door, and swooping upwards on either side of this door were staircases of marble that spiralled away to the floor above. Around the edges of the main hall many doors lead to cupboards and anti-chambers where un-needed objects were often stored.

It was from one of these doors, on the left hand side of the hall, that Ultima emerged, followed by the small children, and Richard, who trailed someway behind the group as they made their way towards the large blue door opposite the entrance.

Upon reaching the door, Ultima put one black-gloved hand onto the handle and spoke a chant in the language of the Underworld.

"Trahnelav amitlu, dnas fo niarg." She muttered softly, and a latched clicked, allowing them to enter the room, that was as black as the night sky when the volcanic stars stopped burning.

As they entered, a green light beam travelled down each of their bodies, semi-illuminating the small room, which appeared to be empty except for a small pedestal in the centre of the room.

As Richard was scanned, the beam hovered around his chest area, time seeming to stand still for Richard, paralysing every thought that drifted through his brain, before a wild klaxon sounded, echoing through the room, making the children panic, whereas Ultima merely smiled.

"Gun, Richard." She said simply, concealing the laugh that was pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Oh."

It was the only word he could manage as he fumbled at the leather straps holding the gun in its holster on his back. Once of his back, he handed his silver gun to Ultima, who vanished it with her magic. Causing a scandalized look to leap onto Richard's face, narrowing his eyes.

"You'll get it back." She assured him before walking into the centre of the room, over to the concrete pedestal.

"Sand." She said to the room at large, placing her hand on the smooth top, blue light erupting from the pedestal and filling the room.

The nervous, but eager, group of children all sat down on the floor, close to Ultima and the pedestal, whereas Richard stood at the back of the room, his back against the wall, the blue light giving his emerald eyes a supernatural glow.

Watched by sixteen faces, Ultima pressed the pedestal again and a single grain of sand rose up out of it, barely visible as more than a tiny black pinprick in the half-light. Slowly the grain rotated and grew, until it was the size of a human head, and the onlookers were able to view holes and grooves all over the surface.

"To be able to understand The Underworld, and the way it works," Ultima said, indicating the enlarged grain with her hand, "you must first understand that there are worlds within our worlds. A flower may give someone a glimpse of Heaven and paradise, whereas there is another world entirely, inside one grain of sand. If I were to enlarge this grain further, you would see microorganisms moving, working, living and defending.

"There will come a time when you will be trained to fight and defend The Underworld, everyone from the age of seventeen upwards is able to lift a sword, or perform magic, able to do his or her bit to protect the world, and when they grow to old and weak to protect The Underworld, they are cast out of The Warrior Cities, to live on the plains…"

"But why?" Richard interrupted, causing Ultima's eyes to glow with frustration, this was _her _world, and no one ever _dared_ to question her ways or interrupt her.

"What use is someone who can't lift a sword, or use magic, in a Warrior City, Richard? Why keep them when they can't defend us?" she asked, politely.

"Knowledge." He replied simply, "Love, happiness. What of the grieving families?"

"Everyone dies." She said, a slight smile curling her lips, "It is nature's way, no one lives for ever…"

"Except you, and _your_ chosen Immortals." It was Richard's turn to smile at her ridiculous way of things, her ridiculous views of life and death. "Why is it for _you_ to chose who lives forever…and who can stay in the cities, aren't you older than everyone else?"

The children all gasped, and turned to stare at Richard, this boy clearly didn't yet understand the way things worked, and who was in charge.

"I am older because I created this world, my Immortals are people…"

"Who can fight?" Richard finished for her.

"Richard," she said plainly, "I think you're finding it hard to grasp the ways that The Underworld works, and also who rescued you from the inferno that was to be your doom."

"I think I understand The Underworld all too well already," Richard said; moving away from the wall, back towards the door. "Everything centres around survival and power, and if this is the world I was rescued to live in, I'd rather I died in that inferno!" he concluded, wrenching the door open, striding out of it, and slamming it shut behind him.

As he began to walk towards the stairs, he found his gun returned to his hands, but was it worth keeping, all he'd be used for would be the defence system of The Underworld, and when he grew to old and weak to squeeze the trigger, he'd be sent away to die somewhere that had no protection. Or would he be sent to the so-called Soul Prison? Where he could be looked upon and examined at will…or his soul could be, his body would be gone.

Richard refused to be used, he'd find his way out, back up to the surface world, he'd rather die free and alone than die working for a purpose he did not believe in.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Heaven in a wild flower 

"Richard?"

There was a knock at the door of the room he was staying in, followed by Ultima's voice, the last voice he wanted to hear right now.

The room he was in was blue, as was his choice, blue walls, a blue door, a blue double bed in the centre of the room with blue carpet and several blue chairs scattered around the room. The only thing that wasn't blue was the few desks, and the nets hanging in front of the window. It was these he was stood by, pulling them back slightly so that he could look out onto the volcano that was about two miles from the mansion. From the back of the mansion up to the dormant volcano the land was covered in a vast forest, The Dark Forest, where Werewolves and Vampires were said to thrive.

"Richard?"

There was no knock accompanying this call, just the turn of the door handle as Ultima tried to enter his locked room. He was pleased to discover that Ultima limited her magic in her Mansion, she could not, for instance, unlock other people's rooms for she believed that anyone deserved privacy. She could break the doors down though, not that she'd want to in her own home.

"Richard O'Connor! Unlock the door before I force entry!"

Richard smiled slightly at her anger, knowing that she wouldn't damage her own home, but he also knew he was risking his stay in the house.

"Go on then." He challenged, but after a pause, he walked over to the door and turned the key, opening it to reveal a windswept Ultima, who had obviously ran up five floors to his room.

"Richard…" she repeated, pushing her hair back into place. "I understand that you are finding it hard to grasp our ways but…"

"No, I understand perfectly." He cut across her, folding his arms and, once again, leaning against the doorjamb. "You only want the strong who can fight for you, and defend your land. _Your _land. But if you're the almighty Ruler of The Underworld, why don't _you_ protect the people who live here?"

"Oh Richard." She said, a slight tone of impatience in her voice. "You think I just sit back and watch when cities get attacked by rebel armies? If that is what you believe, then you are wrong, more wrong than you could ever possibly imagine."

"Then answer one question!" he demanded, poking himself in the chest with one of his long index fingers. "Why am I here?"

"You are here, Richard, because I saved you from burning to death. Surely you wouldn't have wanted to waste away in that inferno."

"It would be better to die free." He added with a smirk, "Than to die as a slave, fighting for a cause I do not believe in."

"Yet I will give you the choice, of whether to fight for us, or not." Ultima said, eyeing him with interest. "But first," she added, turning away and heading towards the stairs, "It is time for dinner, then I am to show you the Soul Prison."

The dinning room had long white walls, decorated with pictures of the Underworld, all gold framed. At one end of the room there was a fire that was burning merrily in it's grate, and in the centre of the wall to the left were a pair of swinging double doors, that led to a kitchen. In the centre of the room was a long wooden table, covered with plates, glasses and cutlery, all made from solid gold. The chairs that surrounded the table were all made of the same wood and draped with crimson velvet, matching the colour of the cushion tied to the seat of each chair.

Richard followed Ultima up the table, where she indicated for him to sit next to her, on the end of the row, while she, as The Ruler of The Underworld, sat at the head of the table.

"Before we eat," Ultima said to a vast group of humans all gathered around the table, "I would like to introduce Richard O'Connor, a human I saved from the surface world."

There was a murmur among the seated; his name had travelled from the schooled children and what they had heard of him, did not raise their hopes that they would gain a skilled marksman.

Richard realised none of this, his eyes were cast down at his empty plate, the gold seeming falsely bright, matching the falsely cheery voices around them, which resumed normal conversation as butlers entered the room carrying trays, each covered with a golden lid.

What looked like the oldest butler put a tray down onto the table, and lifted a covered plate onto is larger plate. Upon removing the lid from the plate, a red lump of meat was revealed, surrounded by leaves in several shades of green. The meat was pulsating eerily, like its soul was still trapped inside the burnt muscle laying surrounded by leaves.

"Did you cook something that was still alive?"

Richard couldn't help himself from asking this question, making no effort to blanket the tone of disgust in his voice with a false, hearty one.

The butler turned to him, his face was lined and his hair was grey, and as thin as the many lines that were etched over his face like neatly crossing cobwebs. He wore a crisp black suit and tie, with highly polished, leather, shoes and a crisp white shirt to match the cloth folded over his arm.

"Is there a problem, young Sir?"

His voice was brisk, rather like that of a teacher. Time having no effect on it, his voice was not stretched and weak like the one of an elder on the surface world would be. His grey eyes gazed down upon Richard as if he had only just seen him, a superior light gleaming in the corners.

"Umm…no, not really." Richard replied quickly, flushing slightly, staring down at the meat rather like a scolded youngling would, after being disciplined by a parent.

The girl opposite Richard giggled, her voice sounding like the pull on the strings of a harp. Looking up, Richard saw that she had deep blue eyes, the exact colour of the sky, but there was no blackness in them, her eyes were pupil less. Framing her face was a crop of short, light brown, hair that fell jaggedly down to her shoulders. Her dress was a bright blue at the top, ending, around her knees, in a skirt of blue feathers. From the top of the feathers a dark blue cloak adjoined the dress, falling down to her feet, which were covered, in sky blue boots. Her sleeves were detached and hung loosely, and wide, from her elbows and etched across her chest was a ying-yang, the whiteness of it seeming to glow in the light.

"Oh P-P, leave the boy go, he's new here." She spoke in her musical voice again, her pupil less eyes meeting Richard's across the table. "Lunabe." She said, in way of introduction, reaching her hand out across the table to shake Richard's.

"I failed to catch your name." The waiter said to Richard, also holding out a hand to shake.

"Richard O'Connor." Came the reply, the young boy quickly shaking hands.

"I am Ping-Pomg. But everyone calls me P-P." The waiter said, drawing himself up to full height, and moving away to speak with one of the other waiters.

"Ping-Pomg?" Richard mouthed, earning himself another giggle from Lunabe and a raised eyebrow from Ultima.

"Richard." Ultima said, her voice bold and business like. "I must tell you now, before we leave for the soul prison, that you are not to show fear. They'll react to it."

"Who will?" Richard couldn't stop his curiosity.

"The imprisoned Souls." Ultima replied, looking at him as if she was speaking to a slightly concussed child.

"Okay, but where is the Soul Prison?" he asked, thirsty for knowledge of his new home.

"You're sat right above it." Ultima replied, only a slight smile curling her mouth at Richard's look of surprise. "The Souls that are imprisoned under my mansion are the ones that we feel need to be preserved and honoured. The Souls that you will see down there will be of people who have defended us well, or have shown courage beyond any that is know. Especially courage in battle."

"My Soul barely escaped an after life in the Soul Prison." Lunabe smiled at him from across the table.

"You mean…you're…" Richard's sentence faltered and died.

"Dead? Yes, I'm an Angel. Lunabe Angel. I thought you would have guessed, for that is the reason why I…"

"Have no pupils." Richard finished for her, looking at the meat on his plate.

Feeling queasy he gently pushed the meat away. Knowing he was talking to the dead, and was going to see imprisoned Souls made him feel sick. He was not afraid, only sickened. _What sort of people imprisons the Souls of the deceased?_ Richard questioned his own brain.

Richard believed that people deserved to rest in peace, not rest in prison for other people to examine. Is there no respect for the dead in this world?

"Are you afraid, Richard?"

Ultima posed this question as they crossed the main hall; it's crystals gleaming eerily, providing the only light source that didn't come from the volcanic sun.

"No."

A simple one-word answer formed his simple feelings of the current moment into speech. No, he wasn't afraid. His curiosity was larger than his fear. There was still so much to learn about this world, and Ultima still hadn't told him whether he would be forced to fight for her.

"No?" She challenged. "Why not?"

"The dead don't induce fear into my senses." Richard replied, looking at the small wooden door that they were approaching. "I believe that the dead can't hurt you."

"That statement is partially right." Ultima said simply. "You are correct that the dead in the Soul Prison cannot hurt you, but…" she added with a slight smile. "Lunabe could, if she wanted to. Yes she is dead, but, she is an Angel, who stayed behind, she wished not to go to The Overworld. Lunabe can still lift a sword, and has a powerful branch of magic blessed upon her. She is blessed to be given a body. You understand?"

The entrance to the Soul Prison was an old wooden door that barely remained upright in its frame. All along the edges the wood had moulded and the two hinges that held it to the frame had rusted. The curious appearance of the door probed more questions into Richard's mind, but before he could form them into speech Ultima had approached a small computer panel to the right of the door.

Her black clad fingers moved over the small keypad with speed, concealing the passwords she put in, the only output from the computer being a tray that slid out of a small crack in the wall.

Already knowing what he was to do, Richard unbuckled the straps that held the gun on his back and placed the whole contraption onto the tray, which slid back into the wall.

As the wooden door creaked open the scent of pollen greeted them, creating a scene of false happiness in the theater of your mind, bringing forth visions of fields full of exotic flowers, with a stream gently flowing through it, small insects humming, the sweet fragrance of spring filling the senses.

Imagination.

Richard was at the point of following Ultima towards a large tree, it's branches high and spread wide, small children scrambling up towards the beehives, where a promise of sweet honey awaited their eager mouths, when he realised that his senses were being fooled, it was all a trick of the mind. Ultima's defence system was telling his eyes to see a scene of peaceful happiness; his ears were being tricked into hearing the buzzing of small insects, his nose being fooled with perfumes of flowers and spring.

No sooner had he realised this than the scene of peaceful bliss vanished, melted from view. The flowers were replaced by cold stone flooring, the trees replaced by rough stone walls, the light ceasing to come from the sun and coming, instead, from torches that hung in brackets all along the walls and the buzz of small insects became the mumbles of people.

"Well done, Richard." Ultima said, not stopping nor slowing her pace but striding briskly forwards. "You have already learnt not to trust your imagination, but to put faith in reality."

He didn't answer; words could not be formed from his new feelings. All he could do was follow Ultima's form as she walked brightly along the gloomy passage, moving downward, ever deeper into the earth. Only did she stop when the light penetrating the darkness came from something that was not the flames on the wall.

As he drew level with Ultima, Richard could see bars, endless rows of bars moving of into the distance, and trapped behind the bars, in an inescapable cage, were people, fully clothed, and fully formed, almost mortal, except for the slight glow that shone from their skin and hair.

"Welcome." Ultima said brightly. "To The Soul Prison."

How could you welcome someone to a place like this? It was hardly a happy place to stand. To look at the imprisoned Souls was to drain the happiness from your bones. Each one had a drawn look of regret across their smooth faces, clouding the once alive eyes, straightening the once smiling lips.

Ultima, however, was smiling as she knelt down on the cold floor, peering at a young girl in the cage to her right.

The child was more beautiful than anyone Richard had ever seen. Her light brown hair fell down to her waist, perfectly straight, resting gently against her blue dress that covered her from shoulders to knees, where brown boots carried on the journey down her legs to her feet. Her face was a perfect oval and her skin was smooth and creamy, but it was her eyes that drew Richard's gaze. They were perfect spheres of black, the only colour in them being the red pupil that swam in the middle, like a warning light in a black ocean that escaped all moonlight.

Richard had only ever seen such exotic beauty, and those protruding eyes, one place before, and it was only when he turned to stare at Ultima that he realised where. Ultima and this girl were connected somehow, they shared the same beauty, and the same mysterious eyes, but there was a missing link somewhere, for this girl was…dead.

"Lannie."

The girl did not respond to the words Ultima spoke to her, she just fixed her gaze upon the wall opposite, as if she had no other wish than to simply float into it and disappear for eternity.

'Lannie', Richard figured, must have been the name the girl had been given at birth; he had expected something more exotic to live up to Ultima's name, or Lunabe's name. The name 'Lannie' seemed to disappoint him slightly, after all his expectancies of The Underworld.

It was a not until the arrival of another figure that Ultima rose from her position on the floor, by now Richard had lent against the wall, listening to Ultima's continued whispered monologue to the Soul of Lannie. Only a monologue because the girl did not seem to know that Ultima was there, she just continued to gaze, steadily, at the wall.

The stranger was dressed from head to foot in purple, with more purple scarves covering his head, only his eyes visible. Over his back he had slung a large axe, the blade as long as one of his arms and as wide as his purple clad back.

"Miss. Valenheart!" he said and bowed deeply, the axe glinting evilly at Richard. "Lannie has been immobile for a week now." He gave no indication that he had noticed Richard.

"Thank you, Jet." Ultima said, bowing to him in turn. "I…I understand, maybe I'll come back later, once I've dealt with Richard." She indicated Richard with one of her hands, to whom Jet also bowed before departing.

"That was Jet, Guardian of The Soul Prison." Ultima explained to Richard as they walked towards the main doors of the mansion, the dim light in the main hall blindingly bright after the gloom of The Soul Prison.

"Right." Richard replied simply, wondering how many more people he would have to meet.

As they stepped out of the mansion, Richard felt his mind wandering back to the dinning hall, back to all the mutters that had been voiced after Ultima announced his name. None seemed impressed, they all seemed to find him a nuisance, for he had already caused a disturbance in The Underworld, he had questioned The Laws, he half expected to be following Ultima to his death as he followed her across the lawns stretching in front of the mansion. The sight of the path his feet were wandering brought his mind back to present times.

The lawn he was stepping across was beautiful, the grass as green as all the leaves of spring, flowers growing in patches spread out along the lawn, blood red roses, butter yellow daffodils, sky blue forget-me-nots…but the sky of The Underworld wasn't blue…it was…purple, no clouds drifted dreamily across it. In the centre of this purple mass was a large ball of magma, burning brightly, being the one and only light source in the skies of The Underworld.

"The Suns of The Underworld are not permanent." Ultima said, following Richard's gaze up to the large magma ball burning high above them. "Each one lights our skies for a decade, then burns out, to be replaced by another, which is fired out of our Volcano, Mt Camman."

They were now walking along a driveway that led down to the Mansion gates. All along the wide gravel path were cherry blossom trees, they lined both sides of the path and petals constantly fell from the branches like the pieces of paper confetti thrown over the happy couple at weddings.

"Wow…" Richard muttered, impressed by the constant beauty he had seen, and his brain was already starting to picture the other beauty that this world could contain. He was truly amazed.

Richard and Ultima were not the only ones travelling along the path, a number of other beings were flashing past them, carried on small, glowing glyphs that hovered a metre from ground level.

"Where are you taking me?" Richard asked, as they reached the huge black gates that enclosed Ultima's Mansion.

"To The Coliseum." She replied as the gates swung open before them, and they passed through them into a land of ethereal beauty that surpassed the magnificence of everything, living or not, except Ultima, Lannie and the strange, almost Heavenly beauty of Lunabe, the Angel he had met at dinner.

They were to journey to The Coliseum using the hovering glyphs that would pass between the streets of the Underworld into the centre of the largest warrior city, Plyter.

As Richard stepped onto his glyph he felt a magical energy bind his feet to the thin platform of light that supported his weight. The reason for this was soon discovered.

He had hardly stood upright on the glyph before he found himself sat, unceremoniously, on the floating pool of green light.

"That was unexpected." He said, struggling to stand again as he shot a glance at Ultima, who had, of course, remained upright. "Why didn't you warn me?" he shot at her, but she merely laughed, her giggling voice floating like birdsong on the air.

"It's always funny to watch the look on a newcomer's face the first time they travel by glyph." She said, the amusement still in her voice. "Well at least to me it is." She added, grinning as Richard attempted to stand once more.

"Oh yes, it's hysterical!" Richard snapped back as his third attempt to rise failed and he found himself, again, sat on the glyph, with his legs out in front of him.

"Can you surf, Richard?" Ultima asked, her voice now back to what it usually was. "You'll find that standing on the glyphs requires the same balance as you'd need for standing on a surfboard out at sea, or on a skateboard on a concrete path."

As Richard struggled to remain balanced on his glyph, they passed over many fields, with the grass long and green, rivers flowing along the land, splitting into streams that covered the earth like intertwining cobwebs. The fields led on to small farm houses with cattle, but not cows and sheep, these beasts had names unknown to Richard.

The further they flew, the closer the houses became, until the farms and rivers were replaced by streets and roads, first shabby on the outskirts but growing more glorious as they moved further into the city. The houses were all large and white with flat roofs. In the centre of the city there stood a huge ring of gold, the outer walls of The Coliseum.

It was here that they descended; down in front of a large door of gold, from which the sound of footsteps could be heard, many people were inside, training for battle.

"Kirk!" Ultima shouted as she pushed the doors open and marched briskly through them, followed by Richard, who was looking around with nervous excitement.

"My Lady!" The man named Kirk said, bowing low, his skirts flapping around his legs. A long sword hung from a belt at his waist, which secured the loose, red fabric. He was a Samurai, a protector of Souls. Under his helmet, his hair could not be seen except for a few loose, brown strands that hung in front of his blue eyes.

"I have brought a new student for you." Ultima said, pulling Richard forward to greet the sword master.

Nervously, Richard bowed to the man, his eyes averted to the floor, hiding any signs of weakness he may have hidden in them.

"Hmmm…" Kirk said, striding around Richard as the young boy straightened himself, uncomfortably aware that the other men, who were training in various areas of the coliseum, had all turned to watch.

"You have muscle and strength, no doubt." Kirk said, now prodding Richard in various places of his body, examining his build from every angle. "But you need more than muscles in The Underworld." The sword master said, suddenly pulling his sword out of its sheath and swinging it around towards Richard's throat, but Richard was ready, his gun was pointed at Kirk's face before Kirk's sword had reached its desired destination.

"Good." Kirk said, sheathing his sword once more. "Very good. So," he was now stood opposite Richard, gazing into his eyes, looking for the glimmer of a real fighter. "You want to learn to fight and defend The Underworld?"

"I…uh…no…maybe?" he found that his determination not to be used as a warrior of this world was gone, he found that he was quite willing to fight for Ultima, now he had seen the beauty of this world he discovered that he didn't want it to fade. "Yes." He concluded definitely. "I will fight and defend The Underworld."

"And what will be your skill?" Kirk asked, his eyes now looking at Richard's hands, perfect sword hands.

"He is to be a Shadow Guard." Ultima said, before Richard even had time to voice his preference of a marksman. "That is, as you know, training in the arts of The Sword, The Gun and Fire."

"But, my Lady!" Kirk tried to protest. "Only the best can work that job! No-one has been trained as a Shadow Guard since the death of Sonita!"

"Richard will suffice." Ultima assured him, turning away from the two males and walking towards the entrance.

Kirk nodded at Richard and bade him to follow him, leading him to a small room at the end of the coliseum, where his future as a Shadow Guard would be decided.

"A Shadow Guard?"

Lunabe had awaited Ultima outside the entrance to the coliseum, her blue eyes glimmering as though filled with stars. She followed Ultima as the black haired girl made her way down the streets of white houses, towards a large church.

"Yes," Ultima replied, "Lunabe, you know, as well as I do, about the shadow that is threatening us from The Surface World. That is why I need you to go up to The Overworld, for I can't."

"I know." Lunabe replied, following Ultima as they swiftly made their way through a small iron gate, into a large graveyard, and wound their way through the many graves, until they came upon two that were close together, one large, one small.

"When you go, take him with you."

Lunabe nodded, then cast her eyes upon the graves, her head bowed, her eyes downcast, the dancing light in them seeming to fizzle out.


End file.
